Fan



April 29, 1930. I w. H.v SCHNEIDER FAN` original Filed oog. 17.

W, ATTORNEYS.

Patented pr. 29, 1930 I PATENT OFFICE WILIAM H. SCHNEIDER, OF MILWAUKEE,WISCONSIN FAN Application tiled October-17, 4921, Serial-No. 508,276.Renewed March 25, 1929. f

This invention relates to fans and is particularly directed to a fan forcontrolling the temperature in the circulating or cooling system of aninternal combustion engine.

Objects of vthisinvention are to provide means for normally maintaininga proper temperature of the circulatingmedium; to provide means wherebythis temperature may be varied to -meet various. conditions un'der whichthe engine works; and to provide means which may be directly controlledby the ltemperature of the circulating medium.

Further objects are to provide a fan for an internal combustion enginewith the blades of the fan so arranged that their angular position maybe varied to thereby vary,` control, or reverse the How of air past theengine and through the lradiator; to provide such a fan in combinationwith means for controlling the angular setting of the' blades; and toprovide means which may be used in conjunction with the usual automobileequipment.

Further objects are to provide a fan inl which the blades may have theirangular position varied by remote controlled means. in which thebladesare so proportioned that their angular position may be varied bythe spindle 14 which is provlded at its outer end expenditude of a smallamount of energy; to provide a fan and control means therefor,

whose parts, although adequately` housed,

may be readily inspected, renewed or repaired.A

Embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fan. Figure 2 a partialsectional view of an automatic control for such fan. e

Figures 3 and 4 a side and end elevation respectively of a manualcontrol for the fan.

Figures', 6, and 7 partial, transverse. sectionalviews of a four-bladed,three-bla'dcd and two-bladed fan'respiectively."

Figure 8 a detail of themechanism for set.

ting the blades at the desired angularity.

' Figures-,9 and 10 details of the joints for the ends of the iexibleconnector and housing therefor, at the point where 'the flexible' grallywith the adjacent angularly arranged tubular member, or may be carriedby a bracket extending inwardly, from the annular member 1 (see Figure7). These tubularmembers 1a and 1b provide a space between them for apurpose hereinafter to be described. Each face of the annular member isprovided with an overhanglng flange 1 concentrically arranged withrespect to the body of the annular member 1, and with inwardlyprojecting lugs 1d provided with apertures 1h. The annular member 1 iscarrie'd by means of a bell-shaped member. 2,

having a tapered or conical portion 2* and integrally formed pully 2awhich is provided with an internal bushing 15.

The device is rotatively supported upon a with an integral collar 14d,and at its inner end with reduced portion adapted to be passed throughan apertured bracket 14 carried by thev internal combustion engine. Theprojecting port-ion 14" of the spindle is threaded and is adapted toreceive a nut 14's so that the bracket 14;n may be clamped between suchnut and the shoulder 14 of the spindle, thereby rigidly securing suchspindle in operative relation to the engine and to the radiator in theusual yand well-known position. The spindle is further provided with anoutwar ly projecting reduced and threaded portion 14a upon which isscrewed an elongated cap member .9 for a purpose hereinafter .to bedescribed. The front ortion of the annular member 1 is closed y aconical cap 16, such cap and the member 2Il being'both properly centeredby means of their respective flanges 16a and 2c., suitable rivets orabolts 17 passing through these flanges and the apertures 1h in theannular member l. In this manner an enclosed hollow hub provided with aunitarily formed pulley is rotatively mounted upon a rigidly positionedspindle.

A series of spindle members or shafts are passed thru the tubularmembers 1 a and 1b and through gears 5 positioned between such tubularmembers, the gears being preferably ri idly secured to the spindles orshort shafts 3 by means of pins 5. The outer or projecting ends of theshort shafts 3 are pro-l vided with hat enlarged faces 3", .spacedslightly apart and adapted to receive the fan blades 18 between them,such blades being heldin place by suitable rivets These blades, as willbe noted from an inspection of Figure 5, are equally spaced about theextended axis of the shaft 14 and are preferably ribbed to give,respectively, a perfect balancing about the axis of the shafts 3 and thenecessary rigidity. The lgears 5 are provided through a portion of theirperipheries with ordinary spur teeth 5 and are adapted to mesh with acircularly formed rack 4a. rThe rack 4a has integrally formed hubs 4which terminate at their outer ends in cupshaped enlargements 4"' andL1. This circular rack is carried by ball-bearings consisting of theballs 4d, the cup-shaped bearings 4b and 4,`and the conical members 8c,such latter being carried upon a shaft 8, axially arranged with respectto the entire fan. These ball-bearings and rack are held in positionupon the shaft 8 by means of a nut 8d of such shaft. By having the rackmounted upon ball-bearings, it will rotate with thc fan, andthereforethe intermeshing teeth will be relieved of a large amount ofwear. The solid portion of the gears 5 form stops to limit the anglethrough which the blades may be turned. It will be seen that when theshaft 8 is moved axially of the fan through the rigidly positionedspindle 14, that it moves the rotatively mounted circular rack 4, andsimultaneously partially rotates all of the blades about their centralaxes. In this manner the flow of air, both asI to velocity anddirection, may be controlled by the position of the shaft or spindle 8.

The inner end of the spindle 8 has attached thereto a ieXible member,such for example as a spring wire 12, by means of a shell nut 8", thenut having a central aperture through which the wire 12 projects. Figure9 shows in detail this construction. A convenient way of insuring theretention of the wire 12, is to bend its end 12a into a loop and place adrop of solder thereon so as to form a globular nob or terminal 12",greatly in excess of the size of the aperture through the shell nut 8e.This nut is provided with internal threads meshing with external threadsformed upon the inner projecting terminal cap 9 receives the housing orflexible sheath 11 of the wire or member 12.. This sheath 11 has securedthereto a thmble 11a, providedl f with a terminalflange 11b adapted toengage the interior of the member 9, and threaded upon its exterior orprojecting portion to receive a clamping nut 11C.

From the construction thus far described, it is apparent that byshifting the control member 12 axially through its guiding and enclosingsheath 11, the flow of air may be controlled both as to its speed and.direction, and that such control may be had from a remote point. Varioustypes of control may be used, two 'of which will be described herewith.y i

' One form of control, such as is shown in Figure 2, comprises athermostatic device in the form of a metal .bellows 6.' This bellows orthermostatic device is positioned within a casing 7j by means of anannular threaded member-7", such member serving to close the otherwiseopen end of the casing 71. rThe inner end of the `thermostatic member 6is provided with an outwardly projecting pin 6b, whose extreme end 6c isthreaded. This pin is projected through an apertured boss on the member7e and is retained in place by means of a nut 6d.. The casing vissecured in any desired position by means of the flange 7 which latter isprovided with a series of holes 7 h to receive attaching bolts. Theouter end of the casing 7j is provided with a threaded boss 7 a, havingan aperture through which a spindle 6?, secured to the outer end of thethermostatic member 6, projects. The outer end of this spindle 6a isattached to the innerend of the control Wire or member 12 by means of anut 6d`in a manner similar to that previously described. Thisconstruction is shown in detail in Figure 10. An elongated cap 10 isthreaded to the projecting boss 7a and is internally shouldered at 10cto receive one portion 7 vof a packing gland, the other portion beingprovided by the conically recessed outer end of the boss 7a. The packing7b is positioned vbetween the portions of the packing glands and isforced into intimate Contact with the rod 6 when the elongated cap 10 isscrewed into position. The inner end of the sheath 11 for the Wire 12 issecured to the outer end 10b of the member 1() in a manner similar tothat previously described in connection with the member 9.

In this device a portion of the circulating cooling medium for theinternal combustion engine is passed through the casing 71, to therebytransmit to the thermostatic member 6 substantially the temperature ofthe cooling medium of the engine. The member 6 is hermetically sealedand carries D therein any desired expanding material, such as iscommonly employed in this `type of thermostatic device.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the temperature ofthecooling medium rises, the thermostatic device 6 expands in the directionindicated by the arrow in Figure 2, and thereby pushes the wire 12outwardly through its guiding sheath 11. The wire in turn, pushes thespindle or rod 8 axially of the fan, and causes partial rotation of thegears' 5. This rotation of the gears is transsystem to rise to thedesired point. Under extreme conditions, as when starting during coldweather, the fan blades are reversed so as to withdraw the warmer airyfrom under the hood and pass it through the radiator, thereby securingmore rapid rise of temperature 1n the system with resulting improvedelflciency.

It may be found desirable under certain conditions to provide a manualcontrol for the v setting of the fan blades. Under these conerable lever13a ditions, the device illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, is employed. Thewire 12 extends into a casing 13, and its sheath 11 is secured to suchcasing in a manner similar to that pre viously described. The inner endof the wire is secured to a lever or member 13, ri idly carried upon arock shaft 13", such shafgt extending at one end outwardly through thewall of the outer casing 131 A manually ops is rigidly secured to theprojectino' portion 13b and the rock shaft, and is provi ed with apointer to indicate the setting of the fan blades', such setting beingconveniently marked upon the curved face 13c of the casing 13.

It will be seen that a fan has been provided for cooperation with`aninternal combustion engine to accurately control the temperature of thecirc Alatingl cooling medium, to thereby secure incr-,eased efficiencyfor the engine.A

It is to' be noted that under certain conditions itis diliicult for theradiator to carry away and radiate the large quantity of heat given itby the circulating medium. Under these conditions, the setting of thefan blades 1s such as to increase the-How of air and secure the desiredradiation and the corresponding desired temperature of the coolingmedium. Under other conditions, it is desirable to conserve the heat ofthe system, and this is readily accomplished by decreasing the angularsetting of the fan blades. Under extreme conditions, it may be desirableto pass the heated air surrounding the engine outwardly through theradiator. This is readily accomplished by reversing the iow of air by asuitable angular setting of the fan blades.

I claim l. In combination, a rotary fan comprising a body portion,having pivotally'mounted radial blades; an automatic controlling memberremotely positioned with respect to said fan', and including a casing; aflexible, nonextensible member projecting therefrom; means within saidcasing for causing said non-extensible member to move axially; a sheathsurrounding said non-extensible member; and means for operativelyconnecting said non-extensible member and said blades to transmitcontrolling motions of said nonextensible member to said blades, tothereby automatically vary the angular setting of said blades.

. 2. A rotary fan comprising a hollow hub,

an apertured support for rot'atively carrying said hub, a rod slidablymounted in said apertured support and extending into said hub, a seriesof spindles positioned within said hub and extending outwardlytherefrom, gears carried by said spindles, a freely rotatable rackmounted on said rod and adapted to mesh with said gears, and a series ofblades carried `by said spindles, whereby the angular setting of saidblades may be controlled by the axial motion of said rod.

WILLIAM H. SCHNEIDER.

